[Avodah] Why is Milchemes Reshus allowed?

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R' Richard Wolpoe suggested:
> Maybe a milchmes mitzva is one that is required immediately
> while a milchemes reshus is simply one that is like a
> pre-emptive siirke - iow if you don't fight NOW sooner or
> later you may have to anyway. ... It is a Reshus NOW becasue
> the enemies are dormant, but it is not simply an exercise in
> wasting human life

The problem with this theory is that I see no evidence for it. On the contrary, a couple of posters referred to cases where a milchemes reshus was based purely on economic reasons, which I *would* consider to be "an exercise in wasting human life".

Even in a case where, Rachmana Litzlan, our countrymen are dying of starvation, and that could be remedied by attacking another country, I can't see any justification in killing those foreigners unless they are actually responsible for our starvation. Pikuach nefesh can justify stealing their food, but not killing their people.

Akiva Miller